Screw conveying steam distilling apparatus for pomace



Jan. 25, 1949. E. K. METZNER 2,459,951

SCREW CONVEYING STEAM DISTILLING APPARATUS FOR POMAGE Filed Sept. 22, 1945 AL cow; IEtE/WA/G F'IE E F I E1 INVENTOR. [swear K uzr/Vflz/m? 147' TOE/V5 Y Patented Jan. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT orgies SCREW SONVEYING STEAM DISTILLING APPARATUS FOR POMACE Ernest Kurt Metzner, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 22, 1945, Serial No. 617,996

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial Number 459,178, flied September 21, 1942, and now Patent Number 2,387,165, issued October 16, 1945. Application Serial Number 459,178, is a division 'of'my earlier application, Serial Number 424,161, Patent 2,359,929, October 10, 1944.

This invention relates to a continuous process for the recovery of the ethyl alcohol value in fruit pomace and like materials. The terms pomace and fruit pomace are each used herein in a broad sense as applying not only to the usual grape pomace but to other materials derived from fermentation processes practiced upon various fruits and vegetables to produce ethyl alcohol by fermentation.

My aforementioned patents deal with the recovery of tartrate values from pomace. In accordance with this invention, I provide a novel apparatus and process for the recovery of the ethyl alcohol value in the pomace. Heretofore the alcohol present in these materials has been deemed so difllcult of recovery that it has been neglected. This is understandable for the pomace in a hard, packed mass of skins, seeds, stems and pulp containing a relatively low alcohol content. I have found that by continuously working the pomace mass so as to loosen it and render it vapor permeable and by continuously discharging steam or other hot gas into the loosened mass of pomace to raise the temperature to a point whereat the alcohol vaporizes readily, the alcohol is vaporized and swept out of the mass. It is'not necessary to raise the temperature of the pomace to above the boiling point of the alcohol because the steam or other hot gas permeating the mass sweeps the alcohol vapor out of the mass. To practice this process, I have provided a novel apparatus in which the pomace is preferably worked by screw conveyor flights which keep the mass loose and vapor permeable.

It is the generally broad object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for recovery of alcohol from pomace.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel process for the recovery of ethyl alcohol from a mass of pomace. I

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing will appear hereinafter wherein the present preferred form of apparatus for practicing the process of the invention is disclosed. In

the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof- 4 Claims. (Cl. 202-176) Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the construction of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section showin the pair of conveyor flights, the pomace supporting shelf, the steam discharge pipe and, diagrammatically, the'manner in which the cooperating screw conveyor flights work the pomace mass.

Referring to the drawings, I provide a suitable base or support 6 on which is mounted the alcohol vapor extraction vessel I. Positioned transversely of vessel I are several pomace supporting shelves 9, 9 and I0. As appears in Figure 3, each .pomace support shelf is arcuately formed along each longitudinal side H to fit the adjacent portion of the parallel screw conveyor flights l2 and I: which extend along each shelf. Screw con- 'veyor flights l2 and it are each mounted upon a shaft I4 and on a shaft to. Shelf I extends from the right hand side of vessel 1 (Figure 1) across the vessel, terminating short of the other end of the vessel so that the material advanced along the shelf by the conveyor flights falls off the end of the shelf and onto the immediately adjacent but lower conveyor flights and their cooperative shelf 9. Shelf iii, in turn, extends from the left hand side of vessel 1 (Figure 1) toward the other side of the vessel so that that the material transported thereover by the conveyor flights is discharged on to the pair of immediately adjacent but lower conveyor flights positioned just above shelf I0. This construction enables the length of vessel I to be reduced as compared to the length required if a single shelf was employed with a single pair of flights. In addition, the pomace falling on to another pair of conveyor flights works the pomace additionally and enables it to be further loosened.

Shafts l4 and I5 for each conveyor flight are supported in -suitable bearings carried in the end walls of vessel 1. Mounted upon the left hand end of each of these shafts are cooperating and inter-engaged gears it (Figure l). The several flights are driven in a timed relation by motor ll mounted upon an extension l8 on support 6. A chain 2| is trained about a sprocket f9 on the motor shaft and about a sprocket 22 on shaft H in the lowermost conveyor flight. Because of the inter-engagement of the gears on the other end of shafts I4 and IS, the cooperatively adjacent flight is driven in a timed relationship. A sprocket 23 on shaft It drives a chain 24 provided about sprocket 26 on the next immediately adjacent shaft it while sprocket 23 on shaft l5 in the intermediate flight drives chain 29 and, in turn, sprocket 3| on uppermost shaft I5. In this way, several flights are driven with a single motor and in a timed relationship and, with all flights having the same pitch, the pomace moves continuously'through the vessel 1 at a uniform rate.

Means are provided for discharging pomace to be treated into vessel I. To effect this a superstructure or frame H is mounted upon an upper portion of the vessel 1 to support a hopper 42 and a pipe 43 which extends downwardly from the hopper into the vessel I. A screw conveyor flight 44 is positioned in pipe 43, terminating above the end of the pipe so that a solid plug of pomace fills and seals the end of the pipe. The screw flight, which can be vertical or horizontal, is mounted upon a shaft 46 supported in suitable bearings 41 in the frame. A mitre gear 49 is mounted upon shaft 46 and is driven by a mitre gear I on shaft 52 of motor 53.

To close discharge pipe 43 and prevent vapors from passing out through this pipe when pomace is not being discharged, a shaft 56 is mounted transversely of vessel 1.. On that end of the shaft which projects from the vessel, an arm 51 is mounted carrying a weight 58. Within the vessel, a door 59 is mounted on shaft 58 to extend across pipe 43. Material forced through the pipe 43 by the screw conveyor 44 moves the door out of the way so that the material is free to fall down upon the immediately adjacent screw conveyor flights. When material is not being discharged, weight 58 is effective to swing the door into sealing position across the end of the.v pipe 43.

To remove vapors, vapor chest 6| is provided elevation, the different conveyor flight pairs being positioned at different elevations in said vessel with each pair arranged to deliver material to a next lower adjacent pair, a material support shelf positioned beneath each pair of flights to support material moved by said pair of flights,

means for rotating each screw conveyor in each pair in a. direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the other flight of the pair and with on the upper portion of the vessel and is connected by a pipe 62 to an alcohol-water condenser 63 through which a suitable heat exchange coolant is passed in a heat exchange relationship. A sight gauge 64 is provided on the side of the condenser and, as desired, the condensed aqueous alcohol solution is drawn off through pipe 66 into an alcohol receiving tank 61 for further processing or concentration.

Between each screw conveyor flight I2 and I3 is provided a pipe II, their being three pipes each connected to a common header and by means of this to a supply of steam or other hot gas. Each pipe has a plurality of jet-like openings I4 along the pipe to release the hot gas into the pomace. With pomace discharged substantially continuously from hopper 42, the compact fibrous mass of seed, stems, skin and pulp is broken and loosened by the continuous working between the supporting shelf and the several pipes. In Figure 3 {have shown this diagrammatically; the two conveyor flights throw the pomace toward the middle of the shelf and build up a loose mass of material into which the hot fluid is released in jet form to assist in breaking up the mass and vaporizing the alcohol by heating the pomace to facilitate vaporization and, because of the volume of steam, sweeping out of the pomace any alcohol vapors arising from the pomace so that by the time pomace reaches discharge pipe I2 it is subs'tantiallyfree of alcohol. The pomace discharged through pipe 12 is admitted to a tank 13 for tartrate extraction accordin Pipe extends below the level of liquid in tank to my aforementioned patents.

13 and the pipe is thus sealed against vapor loss.

It is a feature of this invention that pomace can be processed for its alcohol content without the adjacent edges of the two flights moving upwardly and away from the cooperatively adjacent material support shelf to move material along the shelf and to maintain a mass of material piled up on and between the cooperating adjacent edges of the flights, a pipe arranged along each shelf between each pair of conveyors and having a, plurality of jets along the length thereof to release a gas into the mass of material piled up between the pair of flights, and means for discharging material to the uppermost conveyor pair.

2. An apparatus for recovery of the alcohol in pomace comprising a vessel having-opposite first and second vertical end walls, a plurality of pairs of screw conveyor flights arranged horizontally in said vessel with the flight in each pair in a side by side relationship and at substantially the same elevation, the difierent conveyor flight pairs being positioned at different elevations in said vessel with each pair arranged to deliver material to a next lower adjacent pair, a plurality of material support shelves extending horizontally from only one of said end walls, each shelf being positioned cooperatively beneath one pair of flights to support materialmoved by said pair of flights, means for rotating each screw conveyor in each pair in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the other flight of the pair and with the adjacent edges of the two flights moving upwardly and away from the cooperatively adjacent material support shelf to move material along-the shelf and to maintain a mass of material piled up on and between the cooperating adjacent edges of the flights, a pipe arranged along each shelf between each pair of conveyors and having a plurality of Jets along the length thereof to release a gas into the mass of material piled up between the pair of flights, and means for discharging material to the uppermost conveyor pair.

3. An apparatus for recovery of the alcohol in pomace comprising a vessel having opposite first and second vertical end walls, a plurality of pairs ofscrew conveyor flights arranged horizontally'in said vessel with the flight in each pair in a side by side relationship and at subing each screw conveyor in each pair in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the other flight of the pair and with the adjacent edges of the two flights moving upwardly and away from the cooperatively adjacent material support shelf to move material along the shelf from the forward end to the rearward end of the shelf and to maintain a mass of material piled up on and between the flights, a pipe arranged along each shelf between each pair of conveyors and having a plurality of jets along the length thereof to release a gas into the mass of material piled up on and between the pair of flights, and means for discharging material to the uppermost conveyor'pair adjacent to the forward end of the cooperatively positioned shelf.

4. An apparatus for treating pomace comprising a vessel, a plurality of substantially horizontal trays positioned in said vessel with one tray below another and in a staggered relationship, a pair of screw conveyors extending cooperatively along each tray, means for rotating each of said pair of conveyors to move material in the same direction along the cooperatively positioned tray and to build up and maintain a mass of material on and between the cooperatively adjacent edges of the flight pair, a vapor discharge pipe extending horizontally along each tray be-- tween the pair of conveyors thereon to discharge vapor into the mass of material between the pair of screw conveyors, and means for discharging material onto the forward end of the pair of conveyors on the uppermost tray.

ERNEST KURT METZNER.

REFERENCES CITED Tle following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 551,113 Ekelund Dec, 10, 1895 560,381 Wainwright et al. May 19, 1896 780,976 Ciapetti Jan. 31, 1905 832,863 Kerr Oct. 9, 1906 847,676 MacKethan Mar. 19, 1907 1,156,609 Mewborne Oct. 12, 1915 1,297,022 Shreves Mar. 11, 1919 1,346,293 Bemert July 13, 1920 1,466,379 Easton Sept. 18, 1923 1,560,855 Queneau Nov. 10, 1925 1,604,253 Barnhart Oct. 26, 1926 1,613,299 Tarbox Jan. 4, 1927 1,737,090 Meyers Nov. 26, 1929 1,989,751 Hagler Feb. 5, 1935 2,102,330 Newcomer Dec. 14, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 402,999 France Sept. 14, 1909 649,036 Germany Aug. 14, 1937 

